A bootcamp for startups

Essentially, Y Combinator is a launchpad for startups, but their three-month-long boot camp programs are what offer the experience and expertise that set it apart from other startup helpers. The course runs for thirteen weeks, and in that time, the teams are able to rub elbows with some of the industry’s most powerful innovators and investors as they try to turn their ideas into solid business models. And, at the end of it all, enrolees take part in Demo Day, where they’re able to present their plans to the world’s most respected venture capital firms and angel investors.

Dropbox, Reddit, Loopt, and Scribd are all Y Combinator alumni, so you can see the kind of influence this program wields.